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All six crew members aboard a United States KC-135 Stratotanker that crashed in western Iraq on Thursday have been confirmed dead, the United States Central Command announced on Friday.
In an updated statement released on Friday, the command said rescue efforts for the two remaining personnel had concluded, confirming that no survivors were found at the crash site.
“All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refuelling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased,” the command stated.
CENTCOM added that the aircraft was lost on March 12 while operating over friendly airspace as part of Operation Epic Fury.
The latest announcement came less than 24 hours after officials initially reported four fatalities, with two crew members still missing at the time. The search and rescue mission has now shifted to a recovery operation.
Military authorities stressed that the incident was not caused by hostile activity.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the command said.
The clarification indicates that investigators will focus on possible non-combat factors such as mechanical failure, pilot error or other operational issues that may have led to the crash.
In line with standard military procedures, the identities of the deceased service members are being withheld until their families have been formally informed.
“The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” CENTCOM added, noting that families must first receive official notification before the information is made public.
All six crew members dead in US KC-135 aircraft crash in Iraq – Army Command
